Manhattan Councilman Dan Garodnick" class="company-link">Dan Garodnick has officially conceded the speaker’s race to his rival, Melissa Mark-Viverito.
Three weeks after Ms. Mark-Viverito declared victory and half an hour after the vote was set to take place, Mr. Garodnick released a statement throwing his support behind her.
“Today, that process comes to a conclusion, and in the spirit of strengthening the council, which animated my candidacy from the start, I now formally concede to the next speaker of the City Council, my colleague Melissa Mark-Viverito,” he said.
“I look forward to working with Speaker Mark-Viverito and to helping her to ensure that we can deliver a sound and responsible government for all New Yorkers,” he added. “I will do my part to resolve any rifts this process may have caused among our colleagues and am here to take any steps necessary to help move forward together.”
Read his full statement below:
“Over a year ago, I offered myself as a candidate to be speaker of the City Council, because I believed I could offer progressive leadership and independence to a body to which I am deeply committed. In the intervening months, I have enjoyed spending time in the districts of many of my colleagues, getting to know their concerns and their own visions for the future. Three weeks ago, I decided to remain a candidate notwithstanding long odds, because I felt it was important that every council member be given a full opportunity to consider who they wanted to lead the body. Today, that process comes to a conclusion, and in the spirit of strengthening the council, which animated my candidacy from the start, I now formally concede to the next speaker of the City Council, my colleague Melissa Mark-Viverito.
I look forward to working with Speaker Mark-Viverito and to helping her to ensure that we can deliver a sound and responsible government for all New Yorkers. She is a smart and committed public servant, and we have worked extremely well together in the past. I look forward to supporting her work as speaker during the course of this term. I will do my part to resolve any rifts this process may have caused among our colleagues and am here to take any steps necessary to help move forward together.”
